Now, having finally arrived at his residence, with all the windows alight, he found it strange that for the first time the sprawling mansion was full of people.
His family.
His wife.
The tinkling sound of a piano reached him.
He took two steps at a time and reached for the door.
That melody.
A lonely, but sweet tune, simple and charming.
He could play it on the piano with one finger. It had haunted him for eight long years.
He opened the door and entered.
She was sitting behind the piano, dressed in a new gown, her hair coiffed upwards in a new style.
His eyes drank in the image.
Catherine. His duchess.
She looked up and smiled as he entered but continued to play the melody to the end.
“I just remembered that melody,” she said with a smile.
“Yes,” he whispered.
“I composed it for you.”
“Yes.” His voice was hoarse.
He’d heard it for the first time in a similar way he’d heard it now. She was playing it, a much younger version of herself, and he’d walked in unexpectedly.
She’d jumped to her feet and joy had lit up her face. “Your Grace!” She’d blushed fiercely. “I composed something for you.”
“You composed this yourself?” He was surprised. He knew she played the piano, but not that she also composed.
“Yes.” She had blushed scarlet. She handed him the sheets with trembling hands.
“Play it for me again.”
She did.
That was the first time he had consciously listened to her play. Certainly, she’d played before, but it had always been calmer, more conventional pieces in the background. He discovered her favourite pieces were by Beethoven; heavy, passionate pieces hardly suitable for a young woman like her. She’d played them perfectly and with verve and zest.
The piece she’d composed for him began with a slow tempo, with long legato notes, thoughtful and slightly heavy, building into an intense, rich, and more complex melody, followed by an unexpected turn that expressed softer, warmer harmonies. It was a beautiful piece that expressed longing and yearning.
When she finished, she waited for the notes to fade. “This melody is you.”
He grasped for words. “That was extraordinary.”
Her smile lit her up from within and for the first time, he realised how beautiful she was.
That had been in the past. Now, it was the same. Hearing her play the tune that she’d composed for him brought back feelings he’d thought he’d long forgotten.
“This melody is you.” She used the same words now as she did then.
